2017 - B2W Software

“5 out of 5 Stars”

2-Minute Video: B2W users say ease of use can dissolve resistance to construction software

Stereotypical “old-school” construction workers resisting software at all costs are like flip phones. You come across them now and then, but the sightings are increasingly rare. As construction applications evolve, along with market pressures and employee expectations, the old excuses that “software isn’t for us”, “our existing systems work just fine” or “we’re not ready for software” are dissolving fast. Read More

Greg Norris|December 29, 2017

Don’t Just Collect Safety Data – Use It to Create Actionable Measures and Precautions on the Job Site

Every construction company collects a high volume of safety information, but Minger Construction is using B2W Inform to do something not many others do particularly well. “Instead of just collecting the information, we can actually use it to identify trends and improve our performance,” explains Mike Nelson, safety director for the Minnesota based company. Minger creates Daily Crew Safety Briefing Read More

Greg Norris|November 30, 2017

6 Steps to Implementing Maintenance Software

This article originally appeared in Grading & Excavating Contractor magazine Switching from a fragmented mix of spreadsheets and paper-based processes to specialized software to manage equipment maintenance and repairs can have a big impact on profitability for heavy civil construction companies. The most effective companies leverage software sometimes referred to as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to hold maintenance Read More

John Kane|November 20, 2017

A Step by Step Guide for Hiring a Great Construction Project Cost Estimator

By taking the time to refine your overall hiring process, you will attract the top talent and hire the best estimators in the market.

Estimators are the cornerstone of any successful heavy civil construction company. Without a talented estimator, the possibility of creating and maintaining a feasible project budget goes out the window. Good estimators are self-starters who are capable of making important decisions surrounding budget costs with limited information. They need to work well individually as well as on a team, and communicate Read More

Jen Caesar|October 31, 2017

Paper Forms in Construction Can Be Costly. It’s Time to Consider Going Paperless with Mobile Data Capture

Paper forms have consistently been the most common method of data capture within the construction industry for decades. However, as technology plays a bigger and bigger role within companies, and business processes become more complex, paper forms are a growing threat to efficiency and profitability. Most companies cannot rely on these slow and inefficient data processes. The following facts will Read More

Elizah Hulseman|October 27, 2017

Preventive Maintenance Planning & Scheduling

Best practices to drive equipment uptime, utilization and profitability

Preventive Maintenance is the backbone of a productive, profitable heavy civil construction company. As a matter of fact, keeping assets in the field running and maximizing utilization is, in large part, the Shop Manager’s main focus and a large piece of the profitability puzzle. The modern Shop Manager must analyze the fleet and the capabilities of Mechanics and put the Read More

John Kane|October 23, 2017

Top 10 Things You Can’t Do With Paper Forms

Paper forms and the headaches that accompany them are all too familiar in the construction industry. For many years, paper forms were the most effective solution for capturing data in the field, as digital, mobile solutions were unavailable, not user friendly, or cost prohibitive. However, this has changed significantly in the last ten years with the increased availability of tablets Read More

Elizah Hulseman|September 28, 2017

Suicide Awareness and Prevention

September is Suicide Awareness Month, and with more focus being given to mental health across the board, it is important to understand its role and impact within the construction industry. Unfortunately, construction has the highest total number of suicides, and is ranked second highest for suicide rate in comparison to other industries. The overall U.S. suicide rate is 13.26 per Read More

Jen Caesar|September 22, 2017

Defining World-Class Software Support

We treat you like a person and help you like a friend 24/7/365

Any computer user who has ever placed a call to a support hotline knows the difference between a quality support experience and, well, the opposite. But what does quality support really mean? Let’s start by talking about what it isn’t. How many of us have… called a support line, only to be greeted by an automated attendant which forces us Read More

Jeff Pankratz|September 12, 2017

The Value Proposition for Mobile in Heavy Civil Construction

Heavy civil construction projects need to carefully manage logistics in order to ensure success. Project complexities are driven by large amounts of resources over huge geographic regions, with three key resources needing optimization so projects are efficient and successful: People Equipment Materials The rise of mobile technology is well aligned to address the field operations requirements associated with optimizing people, Read More

Rich Humphrey|September 7, 2017

Technology to the Rescue

Mobile is the Technology Platform for the Heavy Civil Jobsite

Heavy Civil Infrastructure projects are getting larger and more complex, and as a result, over 50% of projects fail to meet budget and schedule. This increasing complexity is driven by many factors including… No two projects are the same. Each project has its own unique set of existing circumstances. Conditions on the job are always in flux, and often the Read More

Rich Humphrey|August 30, 2017

Digitizing Your Holistic Safety Program on the Construction Job Site

3 Pronged Approach to Construction Safety Management

Working in the construction industry comes with its fair share of risks: roughly 20% of all worker deaths occur at construction jobsites, with the top four causes of these fatalities including falling, being struck by an object, electrocution, and getting caught/compressed between two objects. In order to help keep workers risk-free and jobsites compliant, a holistic safety program needs to Read More

Jen Caesar|August 29, 2017

B2W’s Guide to Managing Construction Costs

Managing Construction Project Costs Where They Occur – in the Field

Heavy construction costs occur in the field, and that’s where collaboration and insight can give contractors better cost tracking and cost control. The problem is, many contractors continue to rely primarily on financial or ERP systems to tell them how they are performing versus plan. Now, operational software and mobile capabilities are paving the way for a more effective field-centric Read More

Greg Norris|August 25, 2017

Streamlining Key Construction Operations with Software

How to Optimize Critical Processes: Heavy Equipment Inspections, Fleet Repair Requests and Maintenance Work Orders

Equipment inspections, repair requests and maintenance work orders are essential, every-day processes within heavy construction operations. Let’s take a look at: How contractors typically complete these process and the challenges they face with current workflows. How they could complete them more effectively with connected workflows and a unified construction software platform. Problems with Paper and Disconnected Processes For inspections, contractors Read More

Mark Hooks|August 4, 2017

Going Paperless: The Benefits of e-Forms in Construction

Video case studies illustrate the advantages of electronic forms for two core heavy civil processes

Going “paperless” in the construction industry is an increasingly popular goal, as contractors look to escape the inefficiencies, lag time and errors that paper forms bring, while better leveraging the data those forms contain. At Barriere Construction in Louisiana, safety meetings and equipment inspections are two processes where dramatic improvements have been achieved via the B2W Inform solution for data Read More

Elizah Hulseman|July 27, 2017

B2W Track Tips & Tricks

3 Big Time Saving Tips for Field Log Data Entry

We’re all pressed for time and trying to “do more with less”. This blog post highlights little-known and underutilized features in B2W Track to help recoup some time each day. Over the years, B2W Software continuously adds great features, and more than a few go unnoticed – including these overlooked gems. Exclude Zero Cost Labor Types Auto-Add Foreman Auto Add Read More

Tom Willey|June 26, 2017

Automated Warranty Tracking

A Powerful Addition to Maintenance Management

Contractors maintaining a few dozen or a few hundred pieces of equipment know that keeping track of warranties and optimizing coverage are real challenges. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars can be lost by not knowing which repairs and replacements could be covered and when.

John Kane|June 23, 2017

B2W Estimate and the Error-check Wizard

Catch Potential Mistakes During the Bidding Process with the Ease of a Spell-Check

For heavy construction cost estimators juggling multiple bids on a tight deadline, every second counts and – if they aren’t careful – so can every error. That’s one reason why the B2W Estimate software application includes a unique and powerful tool: the Estimate Error-check Wizard.

Anthony Salvatore|June 23, 2017

Horizontal vs. Vertical Construction

Construction Software Requirements Vary

For those that follow the construction software and technology market, there is a noticeable uptake in technology among construction firms. VDC, BIM, mobile project management apps and the Internet of Things (IoT), top the list. This has not gone unnoticed by software firms and venture capital. Both have been investing heavily over the last few years. Most of this investment, Read More

Rich Humphrey|June 20, 2017